How many MCU characters will actually be in 'Avengers: Infinity War'?

The anticipation for Avengers: Infinity War is palpable and since the release of the first trailer it has increased ten-fold as we gear up to see so many of the superheroes from the last ten years appear together on screen.

Though there seems to a difference of opinion when it comes to how many of these characters from the Marvel Cinematic Universe will actually be appearing in the film.

67 was the first number put out there, by directors Anthony and Joe Russo, back in 2016. “We have so many characters we’re dealing with,” the directing duo said at Wizard World New Orleans. “We’re breaking ground on Avengers: Infinity War. We have a board with 67 characters on it.”

Over the weekend, Anthony Mackie spoke of a scene in the new film which featured 40 heroes.

“There was one day we were on set and were doing this scene that’s in the trailer where we’re all running to battle,” Mackie said at ACE Comic Con. “You know, all of us are on set and it’s like forty superheroes.”

But Chris Hemsworth just told the Toronto Sun there are 76 cast members.

“There are 76 cast members or something like that,” the Thor actor said. “I think what people are going to be excited about is what I was excited about and that’s Thor meeting the Guardians and Iron Man meeting Doctor Strange.”

That 76 could include extras and non-named characters but it still begs the question: How many actual heroes and MCU characters are going to be in Avengers: Infinity War?

If we’re going by the film’s IMDb page there are 33 good(ish) guys, and four bad guys, so 37 in total.

That shoot took place after Marvel Studios shot their own photo which included 83 actors and actresses from MCU past, present and future.

Jackson’s voice is the first heard in the Infinity War trailer, though it’s taken from the first Avengers movie so he’s still not guaranteed to make an appearance. If he doesn’t show up it would be the first Avengers film he hasn’t appeared in.

Peter Dinklage is rumoured to be appearing in the film – though not as his X-Men character Bolivar Trask – but, of course, there could be several more MCU characters appearing too but clearly the Russo Brothers would keep their inclusion under wraps to prevent spoilers.